On this page below you will find all the information you need for your visa application

US Tourist Visa holders can engage in the following activities:

• Have a holiday in the US.
• Tour various cities in the US.
• Visit friends or family.
• Participate in social events hosted by various organizations.
• Visit the US for medical treatment.
• Participate in events or contests related to music or sports, for which you will not receive payment.
• Enroll in short study courses for which you will not receive credit (ex. cooking classes).

If you do not fall into any of the categories above, you cannot get a B2 visa. It would be best to look into other types of US non-immigrant visas to see for which ones you qualify.

A difference between many other types of USA visas and the B2 visa is that it has no gap. This means that you can get this visa to visit the US as long as you qualify and meet the requirements.

Unlike the B2 visa, the B1 visa allows you to enter the US with the purpose of business, contract negotiation, or attending conferences and other business-related events.

If you are a citizen of one of the countries in the Visa Waiver Program, you do not need to obtain a US business visa. You can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization System (ESTA) instead. With the ESTA program, you don’t have to go to the US consulate in person to get the business visa much faster.

Unless you have applied for an ESTA and have been denied, you must apply for this visa.

To be allowed to go to the US with a B2 visa, you have to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• That your intent for visiting is compliant with the B2 visa allowed purposes of visit.
• Have enough financial means to cover your stay in the US.
• You intend to return to your home country as soon as your visa expires, and you do not intend to stay in the US.

The US visa photo must:

• The US visa photo size should be 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm). The photo should be positioned in a way that the head is between 1 and 1 3/8 inches (22 mm and 35 mm) or 50% and 69% of the image’s total height from the bottom of your chin to the top of the head.
• In color.
• Taken within the last 6 months.
• With no shadows.
• With a plain white background.
• You must face the camera in the photo.
• Have a neutral expression.
• Have both eyes open.
• You cannot wear a uniform. However, the clothes that they wear normally every day. Religious clothing that the person wears daily is allowed. The head must not be covered, and the hairline has to be visible unless the person wears a headdress for religious purposes. The headdress must not cover the face.
• Without any worn electronic devices. Unless you need a hearing device or something similar.
• You must not wear eyeglasses except for medical reasons. If, for example, the person has had eye surgery lately, they need a doctor’s statement that must be provided to justify them. If eyeglasses have to be worn, the frames must not cover the eyes, and there must be no glare or shadows in the face from the glasses.

No glasses

The US Tourist Visa application process goes through these simple steps:

• Submit Form DS-160.
• Pay visa fees.
• Schedule your US Tourist Visa interview.
• Compile your B2 Visa document file.
• Attend the visa interview

Pay a US tourist visa fee while filling out the DS-160 form.

The application fee for the US Tourist Visa is $ 160 (depending on nationality). To proceed with your application, you will have to pay this fee. Depending on your country’s relationship with the US, you may also have to pay other fees. These are called visa-issuing fees, and they vary from country to country. When paying all applicable fees, make sure to keep the receipts and add them to your B2 visa documents file.

Schedule your US tourist visa interview

All applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 must undergo a US Tourist Visa Interview at the US Embassy where they are applying. To get this interview, you need to schedule it through your country’s US Embassy. Due to the high workload they have, you should schedule it as soon as possible. When this procedure is completed, you will receive a confirmation letter for the interview, which you must bring to the interview.

Compile your B2 Visa document file

The B2 visa documents file contains all supporting documents to show the U.S. Embassy that it is safe to issue you the visa. You must bring all documents with you to your visa interview.

Here are the documents that may be required for a B2 US Tourist visa application:

• Valid passport.
• A US Visa photo.
• Form DS-160 confirmation page and code.
• Receipt of visa fees paid.
• Interview confirmation page.
• A letter describing the purpose of your trip.
• Evidence of financial means. Financial or bank statements to prove you have the financial means to stay in the US of at least $ 266 for each day of your planned stay.
• Ties to your home country. Family, employment contract, lease, or title deed, showing that you are returning.
• Optional invitation letter for US visitor visa from friends or family
• A criminal record or letters from authorities stating that you have no previous convictions (VOG – Certificate of Good Conduct).
• Documents relevant to your previous visits. This only applies if you have visited the US before.
• Transcripts or diploma. This only applies to students.
• A letter from your employer and payslips from the past three months. If you are an employee
• Photocopies of your relative’s status in the US.
• Letters from doctors about your diagnosis and treatment. Suppose you come to visit for medical purposes.
• Social media details. A list of the social media you use and the name of your account in each.
• An extract from the BRP of the municipal basic administration if you are a resident of the Netherlands (or any other country) not older than 3 months, or a valid residence permit for at least 1 year

Attend the visa interview

On the date of your interview, an official from the US Embassy will ask questions about your background and why you want to go to the US. They will go through your documents to make sure everything is in order. The interviews do not take long but release all the necessary information to avoid problems later.

Once you are done, you will be presented with a confirmation page, which you need to print and bring with you on the day of your US visa interview. Without DS-160 form confirmation, you will be unable to attend your interview.

The DS 160 form is valid for 30 days from the day you start filling it in. Therefore, if you start filling in the form on January 1, the DS 160 form expiration date will be January 31. Make sure you complete the form on time, or else you will need to start from the beginning.

The B2 visa may take a few weeks up to a few months to process.

Processing times for B2 tourist visas and US visitor visas differ from country to country. It depends on the workload that the US Embassy where you applied has. If you do not hear from the Embassy, be patient, and wait for them to inform you of whether you got the visa or not.

The maximum duration of stay on a B2 visa is 6 months.

During that time, you can travel throughout the US or for any other purpose. However, as soon as your visa expires, you must return to your home country.

You must apply for a B2 visa extension at least 42 days before your I-94 card expires.

Still, you are not allowed to apply within three months of arriving in the US.
Submit the following documents to apply for a B2 visa extension:

• Completed Form I-539.
• Your valid passport.
• A written statement about the reason behind the requested extension.
• Evidence of financial support.
• Payment of the B2 visa extension fee, which is $ 370.
• Original or photocopy of the I-94 card.

The processing time for the B2 visa extension will depend on the number of applications USCIS is processing at the time of your application.

Can I access the US healthcare system with a B2 visa?

As a foreigner visiting the United States for tourism purposes, you will not receive free health care. The US health care system is the most expensive globally, with the treatment of a broken leg or arm costing you $ 2,500, while a one night stay in a US hospital can cost more than $ 10,000 on average.

Hence, it is advisable to purchase visitor health insurance to cover these costs.

Can I get a green card with a US tourist visa?

Getting permanent residency or a green card from a US tourist visa is not easy. This is because the B2 visa is a temporary US visa.

To get the US tourist visa, you must prove that you will return to your home country after expiring. The B2 visa does not allow you to seek work or study, so you cannot stay in the US longer than allowed.

Can my parents visit me in the US with a B2 visa?

If you live, work, or study in the US, you can invite your parents to visit you. They can enter the US on a B2 visa. They must follow all the processes explained above in this article. The only thing that can be a little different is the required B2 visa documents for parents.

You are responsible for collecting some documents for your parents. They will also have to collect some extra in their home country.

The required B2 visa documents for parents are as follows:

• Passports. Your parents must have a valid passport.
• Completed DS-160 form.
• Bank verification letter. You must prove that you can support your parents financially while they are in the US.
• Employment check You must ask your current employer for this letter.
• Invitation letter. You must write a letter to your parents, inviting them to visit you in the US.

It is highly recommended that visiting parents purchase visitor insurance to cover their entire stay in the United States.